Good Morning Chicks! Another busy day for me and all of you I'm sure. I've got a million phone calls to make and I'm going for a haircut and color. That always makes me feel great. And...I'm not even going on a trip! My appointment was scheduled for last Thursday when I was SO sick.

I'm feeling a tiny bit better every day. Boy, it sure is taking my old body longer and longer to bounce back.

I hope you are all eating well and enjoying being on program.

Melissa, where are you? How are you feeling?

frouf, how are your highlights? i didn't see your report on what your coworkers think about them.

vickie, i get my hair cut/colored tomorrow. i'm pretty shaggy right now. i have found that it takes my old bod longer to heal/lose/etc.... now that i'm a mature woman. hmmmmmmmmmm? i like that "mature woman."

Good morning ladies, checking in and saying hi to all. Not much going on here, ds is back at school today, we had a snow day yesterday, it was only 2.5 inches and they closed the schools.

Kathy that is so sad, what a tragedy, I am weeping as I read the article.

gotta run to Walmart for some stuff, will check in later, have a great on program day!!

Hi everyone
Well it is kinda cloudy here today. Suppose to be a chance of snow flurries. But not to amount to anything.
Well went to WW last night. Some how I managed to lose a pound.
Oh I got some good new candy. It is Dove chocolate. It is sugar free. They are individual pieces. It taste wonderful. I should have read the info before I bought it. I think it turn out to be about a point a piece. But i guess the WW candy is that. But you know the regular Dove bite size pieces. has less calories and fat in them than the sugar free ones. So dont know which would be the best.

KATPO I am so sorry for your co-workers loss. Will keep them in my prayers.

VICKIE How did the hair appt go. Hope you are feeling better.

FROUFY Sounds as if you are getting everything all ready for your trip. I bet you have a count down.

Well am going to get off here for now.
Hope everyone has a wonderful day.
coco

Coco - the countdown has been going for months now - ha ha ha - but I am now in the single digits - maybe I should switch to hours!

Niki - I can't believe they closed the schools for 2.5 inches of snow? Is that usual?

Sandra - well of course they think they are just 'fine' - but I know everyone at the airport will be staring at the woman with the strange colored hair wondering 'what was she thinking"? ha ha ha No I have been assured it looks okay - I am getting used to it - I think? Only time will tell.

I am also in 'advanced' self tanning mode - did my legs and face today (ya I'll look weird w/white arms!). Still need to organize purse and carryon!

Vickie - enjoy your hairdo day - I'm sure you will feel better and look beautiful when you are done!

I am scared to get on the scale as I feel puffy and fat. Eating too much salt and had a big steak dinner last night - was going to bring LO for lunch but as I am having dinner out w/my gf I decided this was too much - so brought some salad and can of tuna! Will try to make good choices at dinner tonight!

My only worry now is the weather - something about a storm hitting the eastern US - we are expecting snow Thursday and Friday - but I am concerned about making my connection in Chicago and getting to Florida - this is why we fly out a day early -esp in the winter!!! Keeping fingers, toes and all other appendages crossed!

Lunchtime!

Frouf

Frouf, check your email. I just gave you the weather update. We look fine here.

P.S. if you don't like your hair you should go get it toned. It doesn't matter what everyone else says. It sounds like YOU aren't comfortable with it. I say go back to the Stylist rather than having it bother you on the cruise!

Thanks for the weather update Vickie - hope nothing freaky happens between now and Friday!

I am 'thinking' on the hair issue and will definitely have it toned (as I have had done before) if I am not satisfied. Luckily my hairdresser is actually closer to my work than my home (like a 10 min walk) so I should be able to get in there if I need to!

So here is where I am going for dinner tonight: http://www.vittoriatrattoria.com/riverside/ (menus on right hand side) - might stick w/the salmon (sauce on the side and NO buttered spinach or rice? maybe veggies) - they do have dinner specials so will have to see what those are!

Frouf

P.S. Good article here with some excellent tips: http://health.yahoo.com/topic/weight...evention/19984

Evening Everyone
Hope everyone had a good day.
Mine the pits. I will have to stay away from those sugar free dove pieces. They are going to be a trigger food for me. So no more.
Not much happening here.
It didnt snow. Was just kinda cloudy all day.
But said by Thursday. We should have some rain. And chance of flooding. Suppose to be up around 50. And then drop back down to the high 30 for Saturday. I just wish it would either stay cold. or stay warm. This up and down stuff isnt good. I see my daffodils are starting to come up. Hope the deer dont eat them.

FROUFY Love the yahoo site. Thanks for sharing.
Well I am going to get off here for now.
NIGHT
coco

And good evening from hot, sunny Texas! Yes, it was over 80 degrees today and I had to turn the a/c on in the car after work. Can you believe it? I think it'll cool down a little at the end of the week because we're getting rain (so they say -- am not holding my breath though).

After work I went to Linens 'n Things to get that mandoline. Brought it home and looked at it and said ... hmmm, I think I'll deal with this tomorrow. There were blades and keys and tools and just looking at it, I got a little teeny cut. Imagine when I really start cutting for real!!!

So instead I got out a sweet potato and just sliced it very thinly, baked the slices in the oven, and ate them. I made a big salad after I got home but Judd was asleep on the couch so it doesn't look like I'm cooking any dinner. I'm sure not baking that big salmon for just myself.

Should we start an AI discussion thread? I really love this first guy Phil Stacey tonight and think that he might be my favorite so far (of the guys, that is). Favorite girls are still Lakisha and Melinda.

I'll check back in later. It's after 7 and I've only been home for 30 minutes (went straight into sweet potato mode) ... so I need to do a little laundry, wash and dry hair, and find clothes for tomorrow. Oh and make my lunch.

Just peeking my head in here...while watching AI too. I feel like I should be getting my hair done too this week,,its getting too long. Ive been straightening it every day so it looks longer then ususual.
Vickie I hope your new hair do makes you feel better too,,,Im glad you are starting to feel a tiny bit better. Sure knocks you down dosnt it.
Sandra. Im a member of the mature women club as well...maybe we should get t-shirts! haha
Niki, closing the school for two inches? Unless its ice,,that wouldnt happen here or we would never have school... stay safe.
Coco, I havent tried the Dove sugar free chocolates but I have tried others,,what I didnt realize is any food ending with the letters *ose* are some type of sugar and will lead to more sugar and salt cravings. Thats exactly what would happen to me, if I ate one,,Id want a bag of chips afterwards. Its a vicious cycle.
How was supper tonight Fouf?
Careful with the mandolin Kathy,,I heard they are dangerous,,does yours have a guard on it?
Have a great day tomorrow everyone...

patti, you're right. we need t-shirts. i'll wear one.

kathy, i shot my longbow today and had a blast. i shot my highest score ever. i'm hoping to shoot higher this weekend. after sunday i'm finished competing with it. it'll just be compound for the rest of the season.

Good Morning Chicks! I've been up since 5:15 again. I am surely going to need a nap later. Thank goodness there are no errands on my list today. I can relax and get paperwork done.

I have NO idea what is for dinner tonight. Jim was already lobbying for Chipotle. I didn't eat it this week because my tummy was still sick. I'm not sure I'm up to it yet. I've made all my bland Core meals already/lately. I'll have to think on that this morning. No matter what I make, Honey Lamb will be schlepping to the store for ingredients. The pantry is bare!

Sandra, you sound like you are in an archery groove. You go girl!

Kathy, be careful. I cut my finger bad on my Deni meat tenderizer. I punctured my thumb under the nail in two places. Then I got a pill cutter for my medicine and sliced my finger open on it. Nope....no mandoline for me!

Coco, I've been having a real hard time with chocolate too. I have the Dove dark pieces here and the WW mint patties. Each are one point. I find if I eat one or two once in a while it keeps me from eating the whole bag. However, everyone needs to know what their triggers are. For me it's any kind of bread.

Patti and Kathy, Jim and I are watching AI as always. I haven't made any strong connections yet or picked a favorite. We think Sanjayah and Brandon are gone.

Patti, I didn't remember that you are "mature". We do need shirts!

How was dinner Frouf? No change in the weather forecast here! How many hours till take off?

I'm off Chicks. I'm sure I'll be back later to see how your days are going.

Sandra, I almost shot a compound at the store just for comparison but didn't. I figure I'm a long way away from getting one unless I buy used.

My trigger food is roasted potatoes and onions. I know that I could eat it for every meal and lots of it! Bread doesn't bother me and that is very fortunate since I make it quite often. I would be in deep trouble if it did. I ate my last piece of chocolate last night and sure enough, the bag lasted about a month because I just ate the one piece each night. I think maybe telling myself I could only have one and it couldn't be until bedtime was what kept me on track.

It's going to be 80 again tonight but back to the 30s on Friday.

I also think Sanjayah is gone for sure -- hopefully we won't have to contend with that "Kevin Covais" syndrome that we had last year, where all the high schoolers in the nation voted and kept him in WAAAY longer than necessary. Still, if everyone honestly votes according to performance, he's outta here. I definitely like Phil, Sundance, Chris Sligh, Brandon and Blake. Everybody else can pack up now as far as I'm concerned. I can't believe I said I like Sundance after dogging him for this whole time, but his dedication was really sweet and he nailed that song. He redeemed himself.

I guess I'd better get myself ready for work. I SOO do not want to go; my eyes are still swollen and a little watery. But if I'm going to get out of there at a decent hour tonight, I'd better suck it up and go. I have a few things to do after work but still need to get home by 7. I can cook dinner while watching AI.

Good Morning All:

I am supposed to go to Pilates this morning, but instead I'm going to the former in-laws to help out. It seems that relief for them is around the corner. MIL will have to get higher level care, "code" for some kind of facility, and it may happen tomorrow. It's going to be tough, but not nearly as tough as living with the situation now.

OK, CHOCOLATE. Yesterday, I ate it like it was going to disappear from the face of the earth today I used to make those one point chocolate syrup, cool whip things but I found that I only wanted MORE so I quit making them. Well, today's another day, and I don't seem to have any cravings.

I read a report of a study on MSN about diet and exercise. Sorry, I didn't note the exact reference. It said that diet alone, when compared to diet and exercise, was as effective for weight loss. The study participants who were asked only to change their diets, reduced their calorie intake by 25%. They lost, and kept off, 10% of body weight in 6 months. The exercise and diet combined group did the same thing.

Of course, exercise has all kinds of other benefits in addition to assisting weight loss. But, I thought it was interesting, given our earlier discussion. And a 25% reduction in calories is not small!

I've had some very busy days at work and have another few in front of me. BBL

Rhonda

I read that too, Rhonda. I thought it was a link off of the link that Frouf posted above but can't find it now.

This is along the same lines about not relying on only exercise to lose. I bookmarked it yesterday to keep reading.

Here's the link to that article.

http://health.yahoo.com/topic/weight...QQVyLvv5Jbj4V4